dennis littky

on future of ed

via Steve:
control is often a short cut for me

via Dennis:
so must about trusting the student.
you have to control if you don't trust
everything is about a community - very transparent - so if anything you do affects the community..

piece from dick ellmore's book.
what i understood then and what i understand now
in younger years.. knew it was a game
worked with deb sizer at brown
if we didn't know there was such a thing as school, what would it look like, what's best for kids
wasn't about tests, grades, going from class to class
it's about helping a kid find their interest, put them out in the real world (not class - real world is across the street)
how do you know the kid well... small group in 9th grade that stays with one teacher for 4 years.. a lot of small schools where everyone knows everyone well, and let's have kids best teacher, their parent, enroll as well

why not happening more? seems so logical. - because we can't stop adding the list of basics.. and it's the only thing we know.. so rather than change.. we keep on .. and keep adding to

ugh.. has kids still work on common core.. because knows that is important

what are you willing to fight for

[personally - i don't think it's expanding, because we haven't had tech, perfect timing, etc, before, perhaps, but mostly, because big picture still clings to core curriculum]

research on validictorians... 10 years later.. 10% had read a book
start school at 9. 9-930 team meeting, then back to advisory, 17 kids, 10-12 individual work, 12 lunch, 1 on individual work, couple times during week.. book walks
that's mon, wed, fri, come back together at 230, and hw is individual, depends on what they are doing
extended day for 9th graders, till 5pm, writing, to boxing to zumba dancing
parents come in at night
on tuesday, internships (advisor sees 4 sites that day), everyone an iep
before kids graduate have to write a 75 page autobiography (steve asked if teachers do as well.. dennis, no, but that's a good idea)

17 years..
how do college admissions
if you want to get into a college, get an interview
i really care about how these kids are doing at age 30, not 17

real way to learn is to learn anything and study it deeply

wondering if now 17 years later.. we could continue your work with less (meaning no) emphasis on core.. what do you think Dennis?